


Summer's End

by BookGirlFan



Category: Dirk Pitt - Clive Cussler
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Unexpected Child(ren) Acquisition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27729607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookGirlFan/pseuds/BookGirlFan
Summary: Pitt receives a mysterious message from Hawaii, about a woman he thought long dead.
Relationships: Dirk Pitt & Al Giordino, Dirk Pitt & Summer Pitt & Dirk Pitt Jr, Dirk Pitt/Summer Moran (past)
Kudos: 2





	Summer's End

**Author's Note:**

> This, as many of my stories, was written entirely for my own amusement, and because I want it to exist but it didn't. I'm posting it now because I'm procrastinating the things I really should be doing.

Pitt pulled his rental car into the parking lot of the towering office building in the downtown area of Honolulu. He’d flown in only that morning and immediately had come here, guided by nothing more than a voicemail left on his answering machine at his home in Washington.

The voicemail had been waiting in his machine for him when he’d come in from Costa Rica, still bruised from his adventures there. They’d found the wreck they’d been looking for, but not without serious damage to the recovery ship, as well as its crew. Sandecker wouldn’t be happy to learn yet another submersible would need to be replaced, and so Pitt had gladly seized the opportunity to be out of the state when Sandecker found out.

He rode the elevator to the top floor, and the receptionist, a pretty blonde in her twenties, greeted him and directed him towards one of the corner offices.

A woman rose from behind the desk and came around to shake his hand. “Mr Pitt, I’m Marilla Stephens. It’s good to meet you.”

Pitt returned her handshake, noting the strength of her grip. “Always happy to visit Hawaii, Ms Stephens, though there wasn’t much information in your voicemail.”

“It is a somewhat delicate matter.” She settled back behind the desk, perching her fingers so her fingertips touched. “Do you remember Summer Moran?”

The name immediately brought to Pitt’s mind the image of Summer as he had last seen her, swimming towards her collapsing home, red hair streaming out behind her. She was the only woman he had ever truly fallen in love with, and a decade later, his heart still ached for losing her. “Yes,” he said, voice tight. “I saw her die ten years ago.”

Marilla’s features softened. “I’m sorry, this won’t be easy to hear, but Summer has been living here in Hawaii for the past ten years. She died only last month.”

Pitt closed his eyes, overwhelmed at the revelation. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Summer was a good friend of mine, and she talked about you sometimes. I didn’t meet her until after the accident that killed her father, but I know she was unconscious for months after it, and never fully recovered use of her legs.” She paused, marshalling her thoughts. “I think she didn’t know how to tell you she was still alive, or how much she’d changed.”

Pitt nodded, recording the information in his mind to process later, once he’d left this office. Once he was back in Washington he’d call up Al, they’d have a few drinks, and he could say goodbye to Summer properly. Putting those plans aside for later, he said, “In your message you mentioned some legal formalities to go through. Seeing as I didn’t even know she was alive, what do I have to do?”

“I’ve asked you to come here because you were deeded several items in her will,” Marilla continued, her tone becoming businesslike. “The primary one was a property, the house she lived in for the past ten years, and its contents. There are also a few smaller items, all detailed in this file.” She indicated the closed file lying on the right side of the desk. “There are some legal restrictions around how you can dispose of the property, if you choose to do so, but we can discuss that later.”

“If that’s all, you could have handled it over email from Washington,” Pitt said, sensing a deeper story in play. “What’s the real reason you’ve asked me to come all the way out here to Hawaii?”

“You’re right, this is about more than just some property.” She stopped for a moment, giving him time to brace himself, then said, “Summer has willed guardianship of her children to you. Their names are Summer and Dirk, and they’re yours.”

“Summer didn’t have children,” Pitt said blankly.

Marilla handed him the file from her desk. “Dirk and Summer Pitt, nine years old, living on Hawaii with their mother, Summer Moran, for the last nine years. She was homeschooling them.” She smiled, her eyes drifting slightly, as she thought about them. “They’re very smart children, very passionate about the sea. I always thought they got that from Summer, but I suppose it came from both of you.” The smile disappeared. “You were Summer’s first choice as their guardian, but if you don’t want them, there are other options. My husband and I are on the list of potential guardians, as is one of her father’s old friends.”

Pitt stared down at the folder, overwhelmed at the sudden influx of information. Just knowing Summer had been alive all these years had been shock enough, but to find out that she’d had children, that he was a father, that had completely blindsided him. “I’d like to meet them.”

Marilla hesitated. “Mr Pitt–“

“Call me Dirk, please.” He smiled at her, but it was only a shadow of his usual grin.

She gave him a faint smile in return. “Dirk, I know this must be difficult for you, but I have to tell you, if you don’t plan on keeping contact with the children, it would be in their best interests if they didn’t meet you. They’ve just lost their mother, they don’t need another parent coming in if that parent is just going to leave.”

“I won’t leave.” Pitt wasn’t sure yet what he would do about suddenly being a father, or if, considering his life, it would be better for the children that they did stay on the island with other guardians, but he did know that he would never abandon them. Even if he couldn’t look after them himself, he was determined to be part of their lives.

“Alright.” Marilla pressed a button on the intercom. “Rebecca, could you bring the twins in?”

A few moments later, the blonde receptionist came in, followed by two young children holding hands.

Even at a single look, Pitt had no doubt that the children were his and Summer’s. The boy was the spitting image of old photos of him as a child, and the girl had similar facial features, but with Summer’s flaming red hair. Only Dirk had his green eyes, while Summer’s were grey like her mother’s, but both pairs were filled with wariness and determination to be brave in their new circumstances.

“Dirk, Summer, this is Dirk Pitt Sr,” Marilla introduced. “He’s your father.”

Dirk held out his hand, quickly mimicked by his sister. “Hello, sir.”

Pitt shook his children’s hands. “Not sir. Call me Dad, or at least Dirk.”

Summer smiled at him, and Pitt felt strange seeing his own familiar grin on the girl’s face. “Mom told us a lot about you. Can we really call you dad?”

Pitt couldn’t help but grin at her in return. “Of course you can.” He reached out, and the twins fell into his embrace. With both his children in his arms, his nose full of their scent of sea and sand, Pitt knew that there was no way he was leaving them behind. They were his now, and he was taking them home. He’d find a way to work it out.

***

Giordino was waiting for him at Washington Airport. Pitt had thought about asking Loren, but springing two children on her unawares didn’t sound like the best idea. He’d prefer to tell her in his own time. Instead he’d asked Al, knowing Giordino would take it in his stride like he did with everything.

Giordino’s eyebrows rose when he saw the two children following Pitt, but just as Pitt had known, he didn’t comment, just greeted them cheerily and helped the two children load their luggage, containing all their most valued possessions, into the back of the car. Only when the twins were safely settled in the back, whispering to each other, and they were on the road did he ask quietly, “When did you find out?”

“When I got back from Costa Rica there was a voicemail asking me to come to Hawaii. I got there, Summer’s lawyer told me that Summer had been living there the last ten years, and she had kids. My kids.” Pitt glanced back at the back seat, where Summer and Dirk were once again holding hands, pointing out the window at various intervals as they spotted something new. “I wasn’t going to leave them there.”

Giordino simply nodded. As Pitt’s oldest friend, he knew his penchant for loyalty better than anyone, and hadn’t considered for a moment that Pitt would seriously leave his children in Hawaii. “I’m looking forward to the explosives when you tell Sandecker. He hasn’t even forgiven us for losing his new submersible yet.”

“Not too loud, or the kids might hear you.” He took another glance at the back seat. “They’re a bit young yet for playing with explosives.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got much better stories I can tell them.” Giordino grinned at him, and raised his voice slightly. “Hey kids, do you want to hear a story about your dad?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, please!”

“I’m never taking you anywhere again,” Pitt threatened, but he grinned as well.


End file.
